From the schoolyard to the campus: Helping middle grades students see themselves as future college students

Abstract

Providing authentic college experiences for students in the middle grades through a partnership with a local college can improve college readiness skills and leave students with a positive view of post-secondary possibilities and opportunities. This article describes a college immersion program—a weeklong college experience provided to all seventh-grade students in one New York City public middle school every year since 2007. The article delves into the various components of a successful college immersion, including roles and responsibilities of students, teachers, and professors; explores the multifold benefits of the program through student feedback; and offers suggestions for other middle schools to create and fund their own college focused programs.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Suzanne Solomon

Suzanne Solomon serves as the early college liaison to Queens School of Inquiry, a CUNY Early College Initiative school in partnership with CUNY Queens College. Email: [email protected]

Mary Beth Schaefer

Mary Beth Schaefer, Ed.D., is associate interim dean of graduate studies and associate professor of curriculum & instruction at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. Email: [email protected]